‘Ndalandela ubizo’

                                                                 NguSiphesihle Notwabaza                    

Konke ewayekunqwenela esakhula yayikukufunda ayityekeze; afundele ubongikazi. Kodwa elophupha laphanza ngenxa yokuswela imali yokumthumela esikolweni. Abazali bakhe babengathathi ntweni, uyise, owayefanele ukubayintloko yekhaya- ahoyane neentswelo zabo, wayesela de afincelele- uxanduva lokujongana neemfuno zabo lawela kunina nowayengenamali ingako kwayena. Isisombululo sabasinye kuye; kukwenda. ITreasure ifumene inyhweba yokudlana indlebe nenkosikazi ethi yasinda ekufeni,  xeshikweni yayibanjwe sisifuba, ilele esibhedlele eSomerset. Uthi oogqirha babesele bencamile, kodwa waphaphama emva kokuva ilizwi lisithi, “Uvuswa okokugqibela ngoku, hamba ke uyokusebenzela uYesu ngokwazisa abantu ngaye.”

Asithathanga xesha lingako ukungena kwethu kulelokishi ahlala kuyo, sisuke saya ngqo kwakhe. Iindonga ziqatywe mhlophe naluhlaza (kubhinqiswe ngoluhlaza). Inkosikazi encedisa apha, ekungeneni kwethu emasangweni isamkele yaze yasikhomba kwigumbi elithile nalapho silindele khona esize kuhlinza impuku naye, ebesagqibezela oko ebekwenza Emzuzwini wangena. Unxibe idyasi emhlophe, le kanye inxitywa ngoogqirha. Phambi kokuba asichubele ibali lakhe ukhe wathi cwaka okwethutyana, okomntu ongene nzulu ezingcingeni.

Unkosikazi Leticia Xongwana oneminyaka engamashumi amathandathu (60), ungumseki nomphathi oyintloko weziko elibizwa Laphum’ ilanga Empilisweni Day and Night Care Centre. Iziko eli lisilili kwiinkqubo ezahlukeneyo neziqhutywa apha kulo; kukho igumbi lokuhlala abantu abangooding’ indawo nalibiza iSafety House, kubekho isikolo soonomngqushwana (Crèche), igumbi lokuphekisa (isoup kitchen) nathi aliloncedo nje kubantu abahlala ngaphakathi kodwa kuluntu ngokubanzi. “Baninzi abantu abahlala apha kukho namacoloured nomlungu omnye,” utsho. Kukwakho nenkqubo yomthungo nathi ukukhula kwayo kuyathothoza ngenxa yokunqongophala kwezixhobo (oomatshini bokuthunga) ntoleyo athi ibenza abantu asebenza nabo balifulathele iziko eli. 

Akuphelelanga nje apho kukho negumbi apho kuphululwa imizimba (Massage Centre) kunye neziko-mpilo nathi uncedwa kulo kakhulu liqela lamavolontiya asuka kumbutho TZUCHI Foundation. ITZUCHI liqela lamavolontiya athi amnceda kakhulu yaye uyohlala ewabulela, anikezela nangezitulo zenkonzo. Iseshoni nganye yophululo mzimba iyahlawulelwa, kodwa ixabiso alingako nanjengokuba oku iluphuhliso lokuhlala. Nesebe lophuhliso loluntu uthi likhe lenza untsatha wonikezelo lokutya kunyaka ophelileyo.

Lenzalelwana yaseGugulethu, eKapa, nesele yaqhawukelwayo ngumtshato, ithi yafika kwindawo yaseMfuleni, ekupheleni konyaka wama1994, yamisa isakhiwo (esasingesikhulu, kwenye ingingqi kwalapha aMfuleni) sokukhonzela nanjengoko yabekelwa mhlophe ukuba ubizo lwayo lusekushumayeleni indaba ezilungileyo, yazise abantu ngoYesu. Okwenzekayo kwamkhwankqisa; yena wayecinga ukuba uzakuthandazela abantu baphile, iphelele apho. “Yandixaka ngoku lento yam; abantu beza kum befuna ndibathandazele baphile ndiphinde ndibanike indawo yokuhlala,”utsho esithi oku kwamxakanisa kakhulu kuba wayengenandawo yoneleyo enokude igcine abantu. 

Esaxakiwe yilenyewe yokudinga indawo yokuthandazela, weva ukuba kukho isithuba somhlaba yaye nabani na ofuna ukwakha angayokugxumeka intente yakhe; akazange aphozise maseko wenza njalo. Uthi emva nje kwethutyana efikile, bathontelana abantu ukuza kufuna indawo yokuhla, phofu yena engumthandazeli hayi umgcini bantu. Kukwelolixa kanye apho kwatyaleka imbono engqondweni yakhe yokuba avule eliziko kuba yayingamphati kakuhle into yokubona abantu bengoodinga sithebeni abe engenanto anoyenza ngalonto.

Engazinto ngobhaliso lwaziko, ulwakhiwo laphumelela ngonyaka wama2004, waze walivula, lingabhaliswanga ngokusemthethweni. Kungekudala ilungu elisuka eburhulumenteni lamndwendwela ngelizokuhlala iziko eli. Nangona laphoxekayo nje lakufumanisa ukuba lalingabhaliswanga (iziko) ngokusemthethweni, uthi lachulumanciswa lucoceko elalubonayo laze lamnika umyalelo wokuba abhalise iziko eli ngokusemthethweni, kuba ukwenza njalo kunamaliqi-liqi ako. “Waye wandicebisa ukuba ndiyokubhalisa lendawo ngokusemthethweni,” uyabalisa umama wabantwana ababini, unyana nentombi, uMntuwoxolo Holygate Xongwna (36) noNtomboxolo Veronica Xongwna (32) nothi akazange aphozise maseko wenza njalo. “Emva kokuba ndibhalisiwe ndatsho ndafumana isibonelelo semali engamaR4000 ngenyanga,” utsho. Uthi lemali ayizifezi zonke iingxaki zeziko kodwa ucuntsu akafani nocwaka. Umbane, imali yomnxeba (airtime) kunye nemali yokubuyekeza amavolontiya ancedisayo apha eLaphum’ ilanga zezinye zezinto ekufuneka imali ihlangabezene nazo.

Ebibitheka luvuyo, uyasibalisela ukuba kunyaka ophelileyo iziko lakhe liwelwe ngumqa esandleni: Isigqeba samapolisa esikhululo saseMfuleni samndwendwela saze sanikezela ngoncedo apho lalidingeka khona. “Apheka isidlo sakusasa kunye nesasemini aze andibuza ukuba kokuphi na okunye anondenzela kona ndawacelela ukuba andihlambele iindonga, akwenza oko, ecula kumnandi,” ubalisa atsho, uvuyo lungenakufihlakala. Ukuchontsizela ubusi enkcochoyini; u-SAPS waphinda, emva kokupheka izidlo nokucoca, wenza isinikelo ngeecomputers ezintathu kunye nesizumbulu semali engangamawaka alishumi (R10 000).

Umngeni asajongene nawo ngoku mnye kuphela; kukufumana isiqinisekiso sobunini somhlaba. Uthi oko kungamnceda ukuze akwazi ukucela amalizo koosomashishini nakwimibutho ukuze bamakhele, kuba izakhiwo zakhe zenziwe ngamatyotyombe nto leyo athi ibenza abakhenkethi babemathidala ukwenza uminikelo-mali. “Abakhenkethi abaninzi sebesuka apha banomdla ngumsebenzi endiwenzayo, qha bathi bakubona ukuba ngamatyotyombe bahlehle kuba besithi awakhuselekanga,” utso ebuyengezela. Uthi lonto ibanika ingxaki nakwizigulana ezihlala aph’ eziko kuba kungekho zindlu zangasese, baphele bezicela ukuba zihlale emizini yazo ze yena, negqiza lamavolontiya bamane bezindwendwela.

Unomonde Dlambulo ominyaka engamashumi amane anambini (42) nongumncedisi kwisikolo sabantwana uthi uyakuthanda kakhulu ukusebenza eLaph’ umilanga Crèche. “Ndiyathanda ukubabona (abantwana) bephuhla yaye bonwabile,” itsho lenkosikazi neyaqala ukuncedisa ngonyaka wama2009. Emva kodliwano-ndlebe nolungakhange luthathe xesha lide naye, uyabacela (abantwana) ukuba baculele intatheli, yangathi kuzakuthiwa kuyaqhulwa, bambonzeleka, besitsho ngentsholo eyolisayo; “Sakha itempile, sakha itempile ka bawo.”

Emva kokwenza ukhenketho olufutshane kweliziko sicela indlela, uyasikhulula umam’ uXongwana. Kunye esimnqwenelela kona; yimpumelelo kuko konke akucwangcisileyo. Wanga angangadinwa, aqhubekeke nomsebenzi omhle awenzayo. Ekunyamezeleni ukhona umvuzo.